SpaceX Starshield

History

The Starshield name was publicly announced in December 2022, but a classified $1.8 billion contract with the U.S. government had already been entered in 2021, revealed in 2023. Reuters disclosed in 2024 that this contract, between the National Reconnaissance Office and SpaceX, was for a spy satellite network of hundreds of satellites functioning as a swarm with imaging capabilities for continuous global surveillance. Northrop Grumman was selected to partner with SpaceX.

As early as 2020, SpaceX was designing, building, and launching customized satellites based on Starlink bus variants for the NRO. In October 2020, the Space Development Agency awarded SpaceX an initial $150 million dual-use contract to develop four satellites for detecting and tracking ballistic and hypersonic missiles; these launched in April 2023 after multiple reschedulings. In 2020, SpaceX hired retired four-star general Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, who by 2024 reportedly held a high-level role at Starshield. SpaceX was not awarded a contract for the larger Tranche 1.

Space-to-ground signal

In October 2025, NPR reported that the Starshield network had begun sending unknown communications from the satellite constellation to Earth in a downlink, using spectrum and signal ranges normally reserved by international standards for uplinks. This violated International Telecommunication Union standards and risked harming other satellites. The incident was discovered by a hobbyist astronomer in British Columbia, with signals reported in the 20252110 MHz range.

Launches

Between 2020 and March 2024, a dozen Starshield prototypes and operational satellites were launched on Falcon 9, remaining classified and unacknowledged by SpaceX or the U.S. government. Images of two SpaceX-built SDA Tranche 0 Flight 1 Tracking Layer infrared imaging satellites that launched on 2 April 2023 were posted online.

Did You Know?

• SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell noted 'very good collaboration' between the intelligence community and SpaceX on Starshield, though she said little information could be disclosed.
• The U.S. Congressional Research Service reports that future Starshield satellites in the SDA program may carry interceptor missiles, hypersonic projectiles, or directed energy weapons.
• Eight senior Starshield leaders formed an additional company, Castelion, to develop mass-produced hypersonic strike weapons potentially for use as space-based interceptors.
• In September 2023, Starshield received a one-year contract from the U.S. Space Force for customized satellite communications, expected to support 54 mission partners across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
• Col. Eric Felt stated there are plans to acquire at least 100 Starshield-branded satellites for military communications by 2029.